The Big Bang III
by AnnCarter
Summary: When the Doctor rebooted the universe, he knew it would give Amy her family back. He never expected somebody else to appear in the newly-rebooted universe as well. Set in the end of The Big Bang (5x13); Rose/Eleven.
_All rights for Doctor Who are the BBC's; I own nothing._

 **AN:** I was never really much of a fan of Eleven/Rose, but seeing as I do believe Rose is the only one he's loved since the beginning of NuWho (and possibly ever, other than his Gallifreyan partner), it must've been a matter of time before I got to writing this. Oh, and if anybody mentions River Song to me, I swear I'm gonna punch them in the face. She's the very essence of everything that's wrong in the Moffat era (which is thankfully gonna be over soon).

* * *

Looking at his little Amelia Pond sleeping on the grass, the Doctor shook his head slightly and, smiling softly, lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. She was so young and yet so mature already, and he was sorry for not being able to see who she would turn out to be now. Of course, there was always a possibility something would remind her; there was always a chance she could bring him back, but he wouldn't get his hopes up. No, for the first time in his life, he would let things happen the way they were supposed to be.

"It's funny," He said, half to himself-half to her, "I thought if you could hear me, I could hang on somehow. Silly me. Silly old Doctor." There was always a possibility, but he had to create it first. Maybe, just maybe, he was _supposed_ to be in Amy's life. "When you wake up, you'll have a mum and dad, and you won't even remember me. Well, you'll remember me a little," He corrected. "I'll be a story in your head. But that's okay. We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? Because it was, you know. It was the best.

"The daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away. Did I ever tell you that I stole it? Well, I borrowed it. I was always going to take it back. Oh, that box." He paused, thinking about all he's been through with his TARDIS. "The things I've seen and done with that box, with that old girl, Amy… You have no idea. You'll never have any. You'll never meet the Daleks. Did I tell you about the first time I met the Daleks? The very first time. Oh, that was such a long time ago…

"You know, one of my friends… actually, two of my friends, defeated the Daleks, just like that. Well, not quite – one of them took the Time Vortex into her head and the other took my consciousness into her head… I'm not sure which is worse." He laughed quietly. "Rose and Donna. I wish I could introduce you to them. Well, that's not going to happen now either way.

"You'll never meet Churchill and the Weeping Angels. You'll never meet Van Gogh. You'll never give him hope… You'll never give _me_ hope. But then… I won't exist, so we wouldn't miss it." He sighed. "But that doesn't matter. You'll dream about it, all of it, Amy. You'll dream about that box. It'll never leave you. Big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient, and the bluest blue ever. And the times we had, eh? Would have had. Never had. In your dreams, they'll still be there. The Doctor and Amy Pond, and the days that never came." He glanced at the crack in the wall. "I wish I could see you one last time before this happens. I wish I could see a lot of people again. Rory, Rose, Donna… Rose…" His voice filled with longing. "But it doesn't matter now. The cracks are closing, but they can't close properly until I'm on the other side. I don't belong here anymore." He got up and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Live well. Love Rory. Bye bye, Pond."

* * *

He smiled when Amy knocked on the TARDIS's door. She didn't know he could see her – not yet, anyway – but he could. His brilliant Amy Pond. Straightening his bow tie, he waited for her to speak.

"Okay, Doctor. Did I surprise you this time?"

Opening the door, he grinned at her. "Er, yeah. Completely astonished. Never expected that. How lucky I happened to be wearing this old thing." Stepping out of the TARDIS, he closed the door behind him. Now, _that_ was a wedding! He always knew Amy was really a party girl. "Hello, everybody!" The shock on everybody's faces was even more hilarious than seeing a human the first time they walk into his TARDIS. "I'm Amy's imaginary friend. But I came anyway."

"You absolutely, definitely may kiss the bride," Amy said, walking towards him.

He smiled once again. "Amelia, from now on I shall be leaving the kissing duties to the brand new Mister Pond."

Rory, who joined them in the meanwhile, hurried to shake his head. "No, I'm not Mister Pond. That's not how it works."

 _Oh, you humans._ "Yeah, it is."

"Yeah, it is." Rory gave up.

"Right then, everyone. I'll move my box." _Count on her to land right in the middle of everything._ "You're going to need the space. I only came for the dancing."

* * *

Once he parked the TARDIS outside, he returned to the wedding. Amy laughed at the way he danced – didn't he tell Rose, ages ago, that he couldn't dance? – but seeing as she enjoyed it anyway – and the kids loved him! Well, he was always great with children – he didn't care.

As soon as the tempo slowed down, he left the dance floor, leaving Amy and Rory on their own. Looking at them, the Doctor smiled softly, happiness and longing mixing in his hearts. How lucky they both were, even though they didn't even realise it. When was the last time he'd danced in a wedding? Hell, when was the last time he'd danced with someone he loved? Too long ago.

 _1941,_ His TARDIS replied to his thoughts, sending him waves of softness and support.

He smiled sadly. _1941, London,_ He agreed. _Right there, in the middle of the Blitz. She came to dance with me. Preferred me over Captain Jack._ Pride filled his hearts.

 _She loved you._

 _Yeah._

 _And you love her._

He smiled bitterly. _Yeah. And I was a coward. And now she's happy with that… human me, as it should be. We never got to dance like that again, did we?_ He sighed quietly. _Now we never will._

His TARDIS once again sent him her love and support. _I'm sorry._

He smiled softly. _At least these two have each other,_ He thought, his eyes following Amy and Rory nonstop. _Lucky, lucky Ponds. The girl who waited and the boy who waited. To imagine they've almost lost-_

His thoughts were cut off when he noticed a seemingly familiar head through the window. Frowning, he placed his glass – when did he even get it? – on a table nearby and hurried to the front door. He absent-mindedly hoped Amy didn't notice that – it _would_ be a bit difficult to explain – and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

He didn't even dare to hope what he saw could be true as he hurried down the street, after the flash of yellow he saw disappearing round the corner. Noticing he was getting closer to his TARDIS, his hearts started beating faster as he found himself hoping against his will that it could be true.

 _It can't be true,_ He tried to reason. _How can it be? We're back here because of Amy. Her parents, Rory, everybody – they're all here because Amy brought them back. She didn't undo the past. If anything, she made sure everything happened the way it was supposed to._

But then again, he could have sworn that he saw her…

For a moment he thought it was but a wishful thinking, as there was no one waiting by his TARDIS. He could see it now. It was hidden in the woods, but there was definitely nobody there. No young blonde woman he'd missed more than he could say…

"Doctor."

He turned around immediately, sighing inwardly when he saw it was River. He tried to force on a smile, and apparently managed to, as River didn't say anything about it. "River."

"Did you dance?" She asked, surprising him slightly. "Well, you always dance at weddings, don't you?"

There was something about River that didn't add up, but for the first time since he'd met her, he didn't even care about it. "You tell me," He said, his eyes scanning the view behind her. There was no one there, he was sure of that, but he couldn't help but hope…

"Spoilers."

Opening his mouth to ask something, he suddenly noticed a figure walking towards them. At first it was too far away from him to see anything, but the closer she moved the easier it was for him to recognise her. Shock wiped every other thought from his mind as he realised who it was.

She stopped several feet from him, allowing him to see her clearly. She studied him for a long moment, frowning slightly, and he realised the last time he saw her was before he regenerated. _She wouldn't know it's me._

But being as brilliant as he knew she was, she quickly made the connection between the big blue box standing by his side and him.

"Is that you?" She mouthed to him, and he nodded slightly in response, never once taking his eyes off of her.

"Rose?" He mumbled, knowing all too well that she couldn't hear him. "Is that you?"

She nodded. It was her, he could see that, but at the same time, he knew it was impossible, now more than ever, that she was really there. The cracks were closed; the realities were separated again. And yet there she was-

"Doctor?" River's voice asked next to him, making him turn his head to look at her.

"What?"

"Was there something you wanted to ask?" She seemed to be waiting for something, but in that moment, he couldn't care less about it. Who she was, what she wanted – none of those things mattered to him.

"No." He pulled out the book and the vortex manipulator, handing them both to her. "The writing's all back, but I didn't peek," He said absent-mindedly, turning to look at Rose again. She was still there, looking at him quietly as if she wasn't sure what to do. "Excuse me."

Ignoring River's clear surprise, he walked past her and towards the young woman he was looking at. With every step he made he could feel his hearts lightning up and filling with hope. The last time she did that he gave up on her, left her alone with his duplicate. If she really was there, he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

He stopped right in front of her, less than an arm's length away. She studied him somewhat cautiously as he studied her hungrily, going every inch of her. Yes, it was her, his Rose Tyler, and she was standing right there, in front of him, her brown eyes focused on him intently. How he'd missed that look.

"You've regenerated." There was a slight questioning tone to her voice, but it was more of a saying than a question. He nodded. Pain appeared in her eyes for a brief moment before she nodded as well. "How many times?"

"Just once." His voice was quiet. "Not so long ago."

She nodded again, this time in understanding. "You look different."

"Good different?" His voice was somewhat hopeful.

She tilted her head slightly, again studying him. "It suits you, in a way," She replied. He smiled, knowing it was the best he could get. He knew how much she loved his previous incarnation.

"How did you get here?" He asked quietly, his hand automatically taking hers. It was real, human, flesh-and-blood hand. Rose's hand. Her pulse was rapid, but he wasn't surprised. It was easy to tell she was excited.

"I don't know. I just did." She reached into her shirt and pulled out her TARDIS key. It was still hanging around her neck, the way it always did. He couldn't help but notice it was glowing. "It started glowing the moment I got here. She led me to her."

"She does that."

She smiled at that. "Yeah." Hesitantly, her free hand reached out to touch his cheek. He smiled again at her touch, his eyes fluttering shut as he focused on sensing her again. It was different than he remembered it, but it didn't surprise him. _He_ was different. "I can't believe it's you," She admitted quietly.

Opening his eyes, he gently took her other hand as well and held both of them against his chest, each above another heart. Feeling his hearts beating fast, Rose smiled, giving him her signature grin. There was only one two-hearted man with a Police Box out there, and they both knew it.

"I can't believe it's _you_ ," He admitted, making her laugh quietly. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well, I'm here now." She grinned again. "And unless you're planning on leaving me behind again, I'm never going to leave."

His look turned serious when she reminded him of their last meeting. He couldn't believe he really left her there, willingly. How could he have ever done something this silly when he loved her as much as he did? Looking into her eyes now, he knew he'd never do something like that again.

"There's something I should have told you," He said, still holding her hands against his chest. She frowned slightly, surprised. "The last time I saw you, you asked me what I was about to say that day on the beach." Understanding filled her features. She looked down, blushing slightly, but he let go of her hands and cupped her cheeks, lifting her head so she was looking at him again. "I was going to say…" _I'm never going to waste another opportunity with you._ "I love you, Rose Tyler."

And with those words he made the short distance between them and kissed her gently.

When he pulled back, she was looking at him through a shade of tears. He smiled softly and pulled her to him for a hug, pressing her as tightly against him as he could. Feeling her shivering in his arms, he frowned and opened his mouth to ask if everything was okay, but she shook her head against his shoulder.

"I thought I'd never hear you saying that," She admitted, and her voice was telling him why she was shivering – she was crying. "I hoped, for so long…" _Happy tears,_ He realised suddenly. "But I thought it'd never happen."

"Me too," He admitted, making her laugh through her tears. "But I'm not giving up on you again. Never. I don't know what brought you back here, but whatever it was, I'm eternally grateful to it. I've wasted enough opportunities with you, Rose Tyler."

"I reckon we did," She said, still smiling. "Maybe that's why we got this opportunity."

"Maybe." He pulled back, smiling at the sight of her smiling at him. "We have so much to talk about. You should meet Amy and Rory- oh, the wedding!" He cut himself off as he realised he'd forgotten about it. "We should probably go back. Amy will wonder where I am…"

Taking her hand, he led her back to the wedding, forgetting shocked River Song behind him. As they walked, he told Rose about the latest events, and even though she seemed amused by his excited chatter, she said nothing and listened. She laughed when they walked back into the wedding and a crowd of children – along with somewhat frustrated Amy Pond – surrounded them. They talked to the Doctor excitedly, each ignoring the others and trying to get the Doctor's attention. Seeing that, Amy smiled and pulled him away, leaving the disappointed children behind.

"There's no point trying to resist, is there?" He teased Amy, who grinned and shook her head. "Oh, well. Amy, this is Rose." Both women noticed the loving look he sent towards the blonde, prompting her to smile softly. "Rose, Amy… and Rory Pond," He added as Rory stopped next to his wife.

Rory seemed somewhat confused, but Amy frowned, looking at Rose intently. "Rose?" She asked, looking at her as if she was trying to understand where she knew her from. "Rose who defeated the Daleks?"

The Doctor frowned while Rose laughed quietly. "That's what he told you?" She asked, amused.

"No," He replied before she could, making both women turn to look at him questioningly. "No, I never… I never even mentioned Rose." His eyes filled with pain, and seeing that, Rose took his hand, squeezing it gently. "How do you know that?"

"You told me that," She replied, still frowning slightly. "You did. I remember. You said she took the time vortex into her head. You said you wish you could see her again."

"But… But I never…" He stammered in shock before turning silent. "When?" He asked eventually, confused.

"When you told me about the TARDIS," She replied, and everything suddenly made sense.

"Oh," He breathed out, staring at Amy wide-eyed. "Amelia Pond. The girl who grew up with the crack in her wall." Amy and Rory exchanged a confused look, while Rose frowned at him. "I never even thought… When I told you about the TARDIS I thought… But when I talked about her… I can't believe I haven't thought about that."

"About what?" Rose inquired quietly, making him turn his head to look at her.

"If she brought all of them back, if she brought _us_ back, why shouldn't she be able to bring you back as well?" He said, talking to himself more than he was talking to anyone else.

But Amy understood. "You think I did that?" She asked, surprised.

"Did what?" Rory's gaze moved between Amy and the Doctor as he tried to understand what they were talking about.

"The only time I told you about her was before I closed the cracks," He replied, ignoring everyone and everything but Amy Pond. "And you are no ordinary human, Amy Pond. Remember what I told you? Your parents, your family, Rory-"

"What about me?"

"-They're only here because of you." He ignored Rory's question. "You brought them back. You brought _me_ back. You're the only one who could bring Rose back. You must have done that without even realising. You are brilliant, Pond. Absolutely brilliant."

"But I brought them back from my memories," She reminded him. "I've never seen Rose before. How could I bring her back without even knowing who she is?"

 _That_ he didn't think about. "Ah."

"Do you mind telling us what you're talking about?" Rory asked, causing his wife to turn her head to look at him.

"Before he flew the Pandorica into the explosion, the Doctor told me I could bring everyone back," Amy replied. "Because the crack in my wall… the crack that took them also…" She frowned slightly as she tried to remember his exact words, "Poured the universe into my head, or something like that."

Rory seemed even more confused at the explanation, but the Doctor didn't give him a chance to ask anything, instead continuing Amy's explanation. "You see, every time one of these cracks gets somebody, they're gone. Erased from the universe. From any and every universe. Their history, it's all gone. Even the people who knew them don't remember. Like when we found the Pandorica and Amy didn't know you."

"Thanks for the reminder." Despite the cynical tone, Rory's eyes were filled with pain. Seeing that, Amy hugged him gently, resting her head against his shoulder.

The Doctor didn't even notice. "But the Pandorica was taken from Amy's memories. The entire scenario was taken from _her_ memories. _You_ were there because she _remembered_ you." Rory frowned, and the Doctor grinned at that, already knowing what he wanted to ask. "You see, Rory Pond, you happen to be a very lucky man. Because Amy is no ordinary human. She grew up with a crack in her wall, and that crack gave her just as much as it took. It gave her the ability to remember, to maintain her memories of people despite the fact they were taken. They were gone from the universes, but Amy's brain was connected to more than just the universe. That way she could remember."

"Right." Rory thought briefly before saying, "And when you rebooted the universe-"

"-All she had to do was remember to bring them back," The Doctor nodded. Scratching his head, he added, "It's a simplified explanation, of course-" Rory rolled his eyes, "-But that's what happened. Give or take."

"Give or take." Rory's voice was sarcastic, making Amy smile.

"Yeah," The Doctor seemed to miss the sarcasm in his voice. "Give or take."

"But that still doesn't explain how I could bring Rose back," Amy said then, turning serious again. "I've never even met her. Everyone else I brought back I knew."

The Doctor scratched his head once again. "Well-"

 _Mm-hm,_ The TARDIS hummed in his head, cutting his words off.

He frowned, looking in the direction of the TARDIS – even though there were walls and trees between them, it was still as if he was looking at her – in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Amy and Rory exchanged a confused look. "What's what supposed to mean?" Amy asked, voicing the question all three humans were asking themselves.

He waved his hand slightly, dismissing the question. _Seriously,_ He continued, _What's that supposed to mean?_

The TARDIS hummed again, trying to pull away, but he didn't let her. Eventually, understanding the Time Lord wasn't going to let go, she reluctantly replied, _I may have something to do with that._

 _With what?_ He asked, only to have her sending an annoyed mental shockwave. He rolled his eyes, making the humans exchange confused looks again. _With Rose or Amy?_

 _Both._

He thought nothing, expecting her to continue, but when she didn't he probed further. _What have you done?_

She sounded almost defensive when she replied. _I knew you'd be happy to see her, and I knew you'd tell Amy to remember everyone else when you rebooted the universe, so I may have buried some memories in her subconscious._

His jaw dropped. Being as surprised as he was, he completely forgot the others couldn't hear his TARDIS and spoke aloud again. "You did _what_?!"

She was definitely defensive now. _They're all gone now, I made sure of that. Besides,_ The defensive tone was gone now, _You were the one to tell her about Rose! I was just trying to help._

He sighed. _Sometimes I think you're just trying to see what's gonna shock or anger me enough into regenerating on spot._

The TARDIS turned cynical. _While that would certainly be interesting, I've better things to do._ He rolled his eyes again. _Look, Doctor, isn't that what you wanted?_

Looking at Rose, he couldn't help but feel love and happiness. _I suppose,_ He agreed.

 _Then what do you care how it happened and what's been done? Rose is here, everyone's safe – leave the rest of it alone. What's done is done; enjoy the present for a change._

He nodded slightly, accepting the fact that she was right. _One last thing, though,_ He said as he took Rose's hand. _How did you know it would work?_

 _I didn't,_ She replied simply. _It was a possible future, nothing more._

He nodded once again before turning to the humans. "Right, then. Where were we?" Pulling Rose to him, he grinned at the Ponds. "I think we were dancing, weren't we?"

Rory seemed slightly confused, but Amy just smiled and pulled her husband back to the dance floor, knowing the Doctor was going to keep one more secret. Still grinning, he pulled Rose to the dance floor as well, holding her close to him as a quiet ballad played in the background.

"Really though, Doctor." She said quietly, looking at him. "How did I end up here?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes, Rose, miracles happen," and with that he leaned forward and captured her lips with his, silencing any more questions she might have had.


End file.
